Loading a horse on your own

[sherbet]

I need to load and travel my horse on my own, not worried about the jounery just the loading.

How do "you" get the bar across and ramp up?

 

[Tiffany]

Have a few practices before you actually go anywhere then you will know whether or not you can cope. It can be done

 

[scotsmare]

My dressage mare is a saint when it comes to loading, we have a 510, I take her up the ramp, tie her up, give her a mouthful of nuts, then duck under the partition the other side, put the back bars across then the ramp up. She never moves! I am very lucky with her though - the 3 year old's a nightmare!

 

[TableDancer]

Look at something called the Tui bar (Google it), its specially designed for your situation and can be fitted to any trailer. Have seen them at shows and they look very good.

 

[piebaldsparkle]

My mare is the same.

 

[Laafet]

Or you can what we do, which is to send the horse in on its own and put the bar up then go and tie him up. This is also how most people seem to do it at competitions if they are on their own. I personally would not tie my horse up before the bum bar is up as he can pull back with no warning.

 

[Orangehorse]

I do that too. I lead him up the ramp and stand by the partition, the my horse walks into the trailer and I put the breeching strap across and make sure the partition is in place (an old Richardson trailer.) Then I put the ramp up and then go in and tie up the horse.

My horse has never had to reverse to come out of a trailer, so doesn't "know how" and I don't think it crosses his mind that he CAN come out backwards.

 

[Chunkie]

My mare has to be pushed into the trailer, otherwise it can take up to half an hour for her to decide to go in on her own

However, when she is in, she never walks backwards, so if I'm alone, I give her a carrot, duck under the breast bar, walk around the back of the trailer and put the bum bar in. I don't tie her up, just in case she does pull back, but she hasn't done yet.

 

[dieseldog]

[ QUOTE ]
Or you can what we do, which is to send the horse in on its own and put the bar up then go and tie him up. This is also how most people seem to do it at competitions if they are on their own. I personally would not tie my horse up before the bum bar is up as he can pull back with no warning.

[/ QUOTE ]

Be careful doing this as I know a horse that got halfway up and then came back out and legged it, ran on to the road and got hit by a car.

 

[Laafet]

Take your point DD but then the same can happen if you tie him up and walk out the back to do the bum bar if he pulls back. Also if the bum bar is up then they shouldn't be able to escape, if they are half way in and start to reverse you will be stood there ready to catch them anyway. ATEOTD it is not really a one person job, loading a horse on a trailer so it is up to that person to decided the safer way of doing it alone if they have to.

 

[showjump2003]

I take my horse everywhere on my own. Luckily she is fantastic to load. I lead her in to the trailer (ifor williams), leave her untied and go and sort the back bar and ramp then go back and tie her up.

 

[Griffy]

I just walk my mare up the ramp, tie her up.. go to the back and put the bar up lol.

 

[quirky]

I load mine with a lunge line, so he goes in whilst I stand at the back, I use a lunge whip with my other hand to tap him on his hocks if he decides he's not playing. When he's in, I put the bar across, chuck the coiled lunge line on his back then go and tie him up. It works for us.

 

[SilverSkye]

I also always load by myself, i walk horse up ramp and in give her a carrot or somthing leave her untied and go down spare partition and put back bar up. She is never a problem and never trys to reverse out but i used to worry about her reversing out and did look at the tui bars but couldnt justify the cost.

 

[Orangehorse]

I have a long lead rope, so don't actually let go unti the horse is in and I can put the back strap across. I take your point about them suddenly rushing back, something to bear in mind at a show.

 

[Tia]

Yes when I had a British trailer, I also used to send my horses in alone and then I'd remain at the back and put the bar up behind them.

Over here the horses are trailered loose in loose-box type areas, so I lead them in, take off lead rope and then close gate.

 

[Marnie]

That is exactly what I do - my mare isn't allowed to back out either, I always use the front unload so that she doesn't learn that she can come out backwards!!

 

[Flibble]

[ QUOTE ]
I do that too. I lead him up the ramp and stand by the partition, the my horse walks into the trailer and I put the breeching strap across and make sure the partition is in place (an old Richardson trailer.) Then I put the ramp up and then go in and tie up the horse.

My horse has never had to reverse to come out of a trailer, so doesn't "know how" and I don't think it crosses his mind that he CAN come out backwards.

[/ QUOTE ]

ooh this makes me mad thats how Gulliver used to load and I thought he was the only 'Special' horse. I used to go everywhere on my own with him.